Art Therapy

[RosieNorth]

Just wanted to share, because I feel so happy about this, I volunteered to do art workshops in a psychiatric hospital. Never in the past would I have had the confidence to do something like this.

 

[kers]

Wow, that sounds really interesting! I hope you will share with us how it goes!

 

[2notbedefeated]

You should be proud of yourself. Discovering confidence you thought you didn't have and then to tap into is very empowering. I find art therapy to be a great thing. I find think art therapy and other experiential therapys to be very effective and therapeutic. To be able to help others to express pain is also very therapuetic. Helping others gives one good feeling inside.\

That is great you where able to do this. I once thought about getting my degree in it.

 

[Leftist]

The arts are such an important way of accessing and expressing our feelings. It is a wonderful thing you have chosen to do and you should be rightfully celebrating this as an accomplishment

 

[cragger65]

Right on, Rosie :)

 

[midi]

Congrats on starting art therapy for others! It helps so much in the healing process!

 

[suzie q]

Way to go Rosie!!!

Growing up, I immersed myself in art to cope with the dysfunction at home and my need to express my individuality. I wasn't allowed a sense of self and only by my creativity in art did I seem to stay somewhat sane! Later in life it has given me an opportunity to relieve my stress and anxieties by being creative. What a great therapy it has been in my life. It allows me to see that I can create beauty and also have fun by looking at the things that I have made! Maybe giving me a sense of worth in my ability to touch my creativity in physical form. After all, I can't be this ugly, awful person if I have my art to look at, right?

Thanks so much for volunteering to give others the beautiful gift of art!

 

[anni]

It's going to be more healing than you can possibly imagine. I do workshops for children, which turned into workshops, believe it or not, for moms. It's been more than healing and more than humbling.

If I ever get back to school, my thesis is going to be on neurosis and psychiatric disorders ( not in the same paper ) basically caused by inexpressed and repressed creativity. Doing this where you are, it's thrilling to think of the solid good you could very possibly be doing. What a lovely thing!

Hope you'll keep posting about this, and all the best wishes to you!

Anni

 

[RosieNorth]

Thankyou so much for all the good wishes and support. I don't know when the workshops will be starting, but when they do I will definately write in here about how it works out.

 

[RosieNorth]

The workshops started in May, and most of the time go really well. It's been a really rewarding experience for me and also hopefully for the teenagers who are taking part. I had to take 6 weeks off because of a broken arm, and have restarted again.
The activity that I've been teaching is called "marbling" and involves floating paint on top of a seaweed solution, which is then manipulated and swirled around to make abstract designs. A paper absorbs the paint and you can come up with some very interesting effects.

 

[intothelight]

I was reading this thread and was wondering if anyone had started something artistic as a form of therapy. My T mentioned it since it would require using a different side of my brain. I have zero artistic ability, but I wondered if even learning to do something new might help.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

ITL

 

[James B.]

Well, I can't say I've really done "formal" art therapy (that I know of) but "art" and creative expression have been very therapeutic for me my whole life.

There are many different concepts about "art" and the associated "aptitude". Honestly, I think we're all "artistic" to a degree, it's finding the medium, the "attitude" and means of expression that suit the individual, IMHO. Some are very good at sewing, it's a broad and very artistic means of expression. Some groove on Collage, art from an assembly of "found objects". Still other seek function; there's art in cooking, and woodworking, IMO. "Art" might be what we wear. For some, custom cars are high art. And gardening too. No fooling.

A strong connection to a creative outlet, a creative challenge with associated technical skill building, has for me been like "ballast" or a "rudder". It's getting in touch with the energy that flows through me, and channeling it in a constructive way. A way that's satisfying and helps build self-esteem. A form of action.There is probably way more to "art therapy" than I know. But "art" as a channel, sounds very healthy.